Jurgen Klopp urges his Liverpool team to remember Barcelona ahead of crucial Europa League clash
Liverpool face a massive task on Thursday as they look to overturn a 3-0 deficit in their Europa League quarter-final tie with Atalanta and Jurgen Klopp has urged his players to remember that historic night against Barcelona in 2019.
The Reds were hammered 3-0 by a Lionel Messi-inspired Barca team at the Camp Nou in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final back in 2019 but Jurgen Klopp’s team would produce a memorable night at Anfield a week later.
Liverpool would win the match 4-0 to reach the final and the Premier League club went on to win their sixth European Cup that year.
Last week, Atalanta put three past the Reds in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie and ahead of the second leg on Thursday in Italy, Klopp has urged his team to remember what the Merseyside club did to Barcelona.
However, this time around it will be more difficult as the Premier League giants will not have the help of Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp wants his Liverpool team to believe in Europa League comeback
“I remember (before Barcelona) I said, ‘If we fail, let’s fail in the most beautiful way’,” Jurgen Klopp said during his press conference on Wednesday via the Daily Mail.
“And that’s exactly how I see it again. We want to win the game. If we want to win, we better play good. If we play good, we have a chance. After the game (last week), everyone in the stadium thought, ‘That’s it’. But a week later, I don’t think everybody thinks it’s already decided.
“I have been long enough in this business to know it is two legs, it is over when it is over. We are still allowed to play tomorrow, we are 100,000 per cent focused. We are only here to play football – but I cannot win this game in this press conference today.”
Liverpool need to go for it on Thursday if they want to finish the Klopp era on a high as their Premier League hopes also received a blow last week having been defeated by Crystal Palace.
The post Jurgen Klopp urges his Liverpool team to remember Barcelona ahead of crucial Europa League clash appeared first on CaughtOffside.